just finished watching “under capricorn”. it started off very shaky but eventually ended with some interest. id still call it minor hitchcock though. not quite even second tier, though not as bad as “mr and mrs smith”.
Yeah, I recently saw Mr. & Mrs. Smith and was a bit perplexed by the choice of film.
Just ok, which is poor for Hitch, he’s much better than that.
the film was a favor for carole lombard. they were friends, and she asked him to do it. its actually a little surprising that the film is as bad as it is, given hitch’s talent for comedy. but its obvious that it wasnt his project, and he didnt have his heart in it.
@Bobby Wise:
I felt the same way about Under Capricorn the first time I saw it. This film, however, needs some research, because it’s not easily apparent how all of its elements are meaningful and how well the style matches the meaning.
For example, the name of the villa is “Why weepest though?” — this is something that Jesus said to St. Mary Magdalene after resurrection, isn’t it? But how does it explains the symbolism of the film?
You might want to read an article by Ed Gallafent’s “The Dandy and Magdalene: Interpreting the Long Take in Hitchcock’s Under Capricorn”. (You can find it on google books in “Style and Meaning: Studies in the Detailed Analysis of Film.”)
I quote Wikipedea: "In Style and Meaning: Studies in the Detailed Analysis of Film, Ed Gallafent says:3
The use of the long take in Under Capricorn relates to three elements of film’s meaning.
1. Ideas of accessible and inaccessible space as expressed in the gothic house.
2. The form in which character inhabit their past
3. The divergence or convergence of eyelines – the gaze that cannot, or must meet another’s.
All of these three elements can be linked to concepts of Guilt and Shame. In 1 and 2, the question is how something is felt to be present. In 3, it is difference between representation or sharing, of the past as flashback, and of the past as spoken narrative, where part of what is being articulated is precisely the inaccessibility of the past, its experience being locked inside the speaker. As for 3, the avoided gaze is determining physical sign of shame.
Gallafent, professor of film at University of Warwick, also explains these aspects of Under Capricorn:
The inscription on the Flusky’s mansion - Minyago Yugilla – means “Why weepest thou?” St. Mary Magdalene (the patron saint of penitent sinners) in religious iconography: the bare feet, skull, the flail, the looking glass in which beholder’s is not always reflected, the jewels cast down to floor. All of these images are in the film. Sources for the imagery that Hitchcock might have had in mind are the paintings St. Mary Magdalene With a Candle (1630-1635) and St. Mary Magdalene With a Mirror (1635-1645), both by Georges de la Tour."
To conclude, in this film Hitchcock shows himself that he is a true Auteur, brilliantly and subtly representing on screen his usual themes of shame and transference of gilt, but also of sacrifice and resurrection. BTW the long monologue by Ingrid Bergman is said to be one of her best moments.
Cheers!
To my list of 5 best Hitchcock’s I forgot to add “NOTORIOUS”. I re-watched it about a week ago and was quite unsettled for a few days until I could properly digest the ambiguous and dark attraction of this film. Truffaut considered it to be the finest example of Hitchcock’s art, and a critic Richard Abel in “Notorious: Perversion par Excellence” called it “one of Hitchcock’s most deceptive and disturbing films”. (You can read most of this article on google books in “A Hitchcock’s reader”). The last statement feels very true to me, although I think the film is still open to a semi-optimistic explanation.
interesting points. the name of the villa is definitely worth looking into for symbolic relevance to the film. but obviously theres a ton of religious significance in hitch’s films. plenty of sinners, and plenty of guilt to be shared or transferred. the film certainly holds consistent with hitch’s themes.
i wasnt able to read that article on google books. they must have taken it down. but his theory is an interesting one. ill give the film another look since i enjoyed it some.
@Bobby Wise: Just google “The Dandy and Magdalene”. The first link is the right one.
This link works on my computer: http://books.google.ru/books?id=K3aXzZ_anSYC&pg=PA68&lpg=PA68&dq=The+Dandy+and+the+Magdalene&source=bl&ots=xKQyuJgPNS&sig=vk55SIm79LigGCrt9qu2IzqFcVA&hl=ru&ei=Nh8IS-uuAougmAPpvIk_&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CA0Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=&f=false
It’s not everything that can be said about this beautiful film, but it’s great because it sets you thinking in the right direction.
P.S. The article mentions “Gaslight” (1944), a film starring Ingrid Bergman and Joseph Cotten. It has a seemingly comparable plot, but completely different psychological meaning. I saw it yesterday, yach, so theatrical! And to think how successful and award-winning it was. Makes you understand how much Hitchcock was ahead of his time.
@Bobby Wise: Just google “The Dandy and Magdalene”. The first link is the right one.
This link works on my computer: http://books.google.ru/books?id=K3aXzZ_anSYC&pg=PA68&lpg=PA68&dq=The+Dandy+and+the+Magdalene&source=bl&ots=xKQyuJgPNS&sig=vk55SIm79LigGCrt9qu2IzqFcVA&hl=ru&ei=Nh8IS-uuAougmAPpvIk_&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CA0Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=&f=false
It’s not everything that can be said about this beautiful film, but it’s great because it sets you thinking in the right direction.
P.S. The article mentions “Gaslight” (1944), a film starring Ingrid Bergman and Joseph Cotten. It has a seemingly comparable plot, but completely different psychological meaning. I saw it yesterday, yach, so theatrical! And to think how successful and award-winning it was. Makes you understand how much Hitchcock was ahead of his time.
Of the American period:
1. Vertigo – head and shoulders above everything else and a personal template for my own cinephilia!
2. Rear Window – his most satisfying and technically brilliant
3. Notorious – the snappy dialogue is the most exciting and sophisticated in all of the Hitchcock canon. Most especially the racetrack scene which is the very model of heart-breaking restraint (“dry your eyes baby, it’s out of character… except keep on your toes, it’s a tough job we’re on”)
4. Marnie – his most flawed masterpiece and so his most interesting. He was certainly aware of the flaws and there is the occasional jokey reference in the dialogue. As when Mark asks Marnie why she tried to kill herself by throwing herself in the ship’s pool when they’re surrounded by an ocean?? (“the idea was to kill myself, not feed the fishes”)
5. North by Northwest – obviously his most polished – even though time has dulled the sheen.
Runners up:
Strangers on a Train. Highsmith is the perfect partner for Hitch and both book and film compliment each other.
Rebecca. It scores points for fleshing out the villainy of Mrs Danvers. But loses points for watering down Maxim’s ‘guilt’ and so weakening the ending And also for the horrible model shots of Manderley (the house is as much a foreboding character as the first Mrs DeWinter but when we see it for the fist time we just snigger)
Most undervalued:
Stage Fright. Hugely entertaining. Also the ‘lying’ flashback is not a mistake but a brilliant trick/joke on the audience
Mr & Mrs Smith. A fine screwball comedy. And, technically, very Hitchcockian
And the British period:
1. The 39 Steps. The template for every spy caper/man on the run film made ever since – including North by Northwest and so, consequently, every Bond film
2. The Lady Vanishes. Even though much of it’s appeal (the host of characters) is as much down to Launder & Gilliat
3. Sabotage. His most criminally slated effort which is finally getting the respect it deserves
4. The Man Who Knew Too Much. A far superior film to it’s tedious remake. Edna best, shooting shotgun from the hip, is a far ballsier heroine than Doris Day’s screechy house-frau who warbles to save her son!
5. Young and Innocent
Honourable mention: Number 17. Much berated and undeservedly I feel. It all moves at such a break-neck speed and is such huge fun that you can forgive its flaws. Its also probably the first Hitchcock film to contain many of the elements we now recognise as Hitchcockian: staircases (lots of them), bathrooms, the good ‘bad’ girl, handcuffs and bondage, trains and chases on trains, people not being what they seem (who are the villains and the heroes?), a macguffin (the necklace)
Of the American period:
1. Vertigo – head and shoulders above everything else and a personal template for my own cinephilia!
2. Rear Window – his most satisfying and technically brilliant
3. Notorious – the snappy dialogue is the most exciting and sophisticated in all of the Hitchcock canon. Most especially the racetrack scene which is the very model of heart-breaking restraint (“dry your eyes baby, it’s out of character… except keep on your toes, it’s a tough job we’re on”)
4. Marnie – his most flawed masterpiece and so his most interesting. He was certainly aware of the flaws and there is the occasional jokey reference in the dialogue. As when Mark asks Marnie why she tried to kill herself by throwing herself in the ship’s pool when they’re surrounded by and ocean?? (“the idea was to kill myself, not feed the fishes”)
5. North by Northwest – obviously his most polished – even though time has dulled the sheen.
Runners up:
Strangers on a Train. Highsmith is the perfect partner for Hitch and both book and film compliment each other.
Rebecca. It scores points for fleshing out the villainy of Mrs Danvers but loses points for the horrible model shot of Manderley (the house is as much a foreboding character as the first Mrs DeWinter but when we see it for the fist time we just snigger) and for watering down Maxim’s ‘guilt’ and so weakening the ending.
Most undervalued:
Stage Fright. Hugely entertaining and the ‘lying’ flashback is not a mistake but a brilliant trick/joke on the audience
Mr & Mrs Smith. A fine screwball comedy. And, technically, very Hitchcockian
And the British period:
1. The 39 Steps. The template for every spy caper/man on the run film made ever since – including North by Northwest and so, consequently, every Bond film
2. The Lady Vanishes. Even though much of it’s appeal (the host of characters) is as much down to Launder & Gilliat
3. Sabotage. His most criminally slated effort which is finally getting the respect it deserves
4. The Man Who Knew Too Much. A far superior film to it’s tedious remake. Edna best, shooting shotgun from the hip, is a far ballsier heroine than Doris Day’s screechy house-frau who warbles to save her son!
5. Young and Innocent
Honourable mention: Number 17. Much berated and undeservedly I feel. It all moves at such a break-neck speed and is such huge fun that you can forgive its flaws. Its also probably the first Hitchcock film to contain many of the elements we now recognise as Hitchcockian: staircases (lots of them), bathrooms, the good ‘bad’ girl, handcuffs and bondage, trains and chases on trains, people not being what they seem (who are the villains and the heroes?), a macguffin (the necklace)
1) Vertigo
2) Marnie
3) Rope
4) Rear Window
5) Strangers on a Train
1. Notorious
2. Strangers on a Train
3. Rear Window
4. Psycho
5. Rope
After watching the BBC version of the “39 Steps” last night and barely controlling the yawns I have to say that my appreciation for the Hitchcock version has grown even more.
1. Psycho
2. Vertigo
3. The 39 Steps
4. North By Northwest
5. The Birds
Also love Rebecca, Notorious, The Lady Vanishes, Shadow of A Doubt, Rear Window, The Trouble With Harry, Frenzy… They are remaking The 39 Steps (again), whatever will we do?
1. Shadow of a Doubt
2. Vertigo
3. North by Northwest
4. Strangers on a Train
5. The Birds
it’s tough to name 5 cause the ones I like I really love and thats almost all of them.
but these 5 I can keep watching ove and over and over
The Birds
Lifeboat
shadow of a doubt
rope
the wrong man
The Birds
Marnie
Shadow Of A Doubt
Frenzy
Dial M For Murder (guilty pleasure …)
The 39 Steps
The Lady Vanishes
Vertigo
Rebecca
Strangers on a Train
1. Psycho
2. North by Northwest
3. Strangers on a Train
4. Rear Window
5. The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
I’ll never hesitate to stand up for Psycho, one of cinema’s greatest achievements.
1. Suspicion (1941)
2. Rear Window (1954)
3. Notorious (1946)
4. Rope (1948)
5. The Trouble with Harry (1955)
1. Vertigo
2. The Birds
3. Strangers On A Train
4. Rope
5. Psycho
1. Rear Window
2. Psycho
3. Vertigo
4. Shadow of a Doubt
5. Notorious
1. Vertigo
2. Rear Window
3. Psycho
4. North by Northwest
5. 39 Steps
Of course there are many more classics.
1. Vertigo
2. North by Northwest
3. Rebecca
4. Rope
5. The Birds
vertigo
Notorious
the 39 steps
Rope
Rebecca
Dial M for Murder
Sabotage
Vertigo
Notorious
The Lady Vanishes
Notorious
Vertigo
North by Northwest
Shadow of a Doubt
Strangers on a Train
Bret
1. Psycho
2. Vertigo
3. Strangers on a Train
4. Rear Window
5. Notorious